Emma Watson named most dangerous celebrity

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Young boys have more power than we knew

Emma Watson may seem like an unlikely suspect, but her name is involved with more viruses than any other celebrity name. Why? It might be her audience.

Emma Watson, the actress who played Hermione in the Harry Potter films has just been named Hollywood's most dangerous celebrity — but not for the reason you might imagine. The actress topped McAfee's 2012 list of "Most Dangerous Celebrities" to search for online, beating out last year's "winner," Heidi Klum.

"Fans who query 'Emma Watson and nude pictures' or 'Emma Watson and busted' run a 1-in-8 chance of landing on a site that has tested positive for viruses and other malicious software, according to the security technology company," said the LA Times.

As time passes, more and more viruses are unleashed, and many use the obsession with celebrities to trap Internet users. Some years ago, the practice came to light with a virus spread through email using tennis star Anna Kournikova's name.

"It goes without saying that we are a celebrity-obsessed culture. We hyper-focus on their lives, what they look like, what they're doing," Robert Siciliano, McAfee's online security expert, told the LA Times. "Currently Emma Watson is one of those people that criminals have determined is a good target, based on the demographics of those who pay attention to her."

The viruses don't always hurt your computer directly. Sometimes you're lured to a site so it can gain access to your computer.

"Siciliano said criminals know that they can dupe a teen-age boy to click on a link that infects the family's computer," said the LA Times, "potentially giving them access to, say, a parent's tax files that contain Social Security numbers."

Since the Harry Potter films wrapped up, Watson has been busy. She is currently working on four different projects, and her newest film The Perks of Being a Wallflower which will be released on Sept. 21.